Programs

Working Groups

NASA's Science Mission Directorate acquires community input, independent evaluation, and advice through three principal means. First, the various boards and committees of the National Research Council advise NASA on a variety of matters in science, applications, technology, and multi-program planning. Second, the NASA Advisory Council, or NAC, advises us on program priorities and planning. Finally, the science community provides input to the directorate in developing roadmaps for each science discipline area.

Heliophysics Roadmap Team

PDF, 21 MB (2013) This document represents an input of the U.S. heliophysics science community into the strategic planning process for the NASA Science Directorate for the period 2014-2033. NASA Headquarters charged the roadmap team with crafting a sustainable science program achievable within NASA's resources. We charted a roadmap to enable first-rate science and encourage new discoveries and partnership opportunities. Our plan is designed to withstand changes in available funding, implementation costs, and limits in launcher availability.

Subpanel for Heliophysics Science and the Moon

PDF, 2.2 MB (2007) This report addresses two distinct complementary roles that Heliophysics science plays within the framework of the Vision for Space Exploration. First, the meaningful advances in our scientific understanding of basic plasma science will be realized by the era of lunar exploration. And second, a greater understanding of heliophysics science will be a critical enabling component for the exploration initiative. This new science is enabled by NASA's exploration initiative and enabling science that is critical to ensuring a safe return to the Moon and onward to Mars.